Distributed Order Management (DOM): What It Is, Why It’s Necessary, How to Get Started

The following is an excerpt from an article written by Etail’s CEO Michael Anderson that was published by Multichannel Merchant.

Omnichannel commerce is now a basic competitive requirement. It allows merchants to better understand their customers and deliver a seamless and personalized experience. But enabling customers to buy from anywhere, pick up from anywhere and return to anywhere is an operational challenge. So is ensuring customers receive orders on time and in full for the lowest possible cost.

Traditional order management systems (OMS) – which were designed long before omnichannel existed – aren’t flexible enough to support multiple channels, fulfillment methods, locations and return points. Instead they operate in silos, connecting only single channels to single inventory sources. This limits inventory visibility throughout the supply chain. When merchants don’t know how much inventory is available and where it is located at all times, it is difficult for them to make and keep delivery promises or route orders to optimal fulfillment locations.

To overcome these challenges, merchants can either integrate their disparate systems and data sources or deploy a Distributed Order Management (DOM) system. According to Gartner, merchants are increasingly investing in DOM. If you’re not considering doing the same, you should. Here are three good reasons why.